What's Happening

At The Farm

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Wednesday of this week was frigid - the frost stuck around through mid-morning. No sooner had we wrapped our heads around the idea that the cold world had finally come, than we were back out there Friday wondering why we'd worn long johns (and how could we get them off quickly). Luckily, we are getting used to figuring things out on the fly.

Because the root cellar still isn't cold enough to store food, we're holding off on bulk harvesting. So! We pulled drip tape and black plastic mulch from the hot crops; a very Halloween-y thing to do. Then Sunny turned the harrow to the cleared out vegetable fields and prepared the soil so Ellen could bring the grain drill and sow the winter rye on 8 acres of ground ready for a good long rest. Going from flapping plastic and ghosts of dead pepper plants to neatly and freshly planted cover crop is the most satisfying thing I can think of. Better than nice clean sheets and a warm crisply made bed. Rejuvenation! Rejoice!

Meanwhile, Dan and Rebecca prepared the lower field with the bedformer. Where there once were pumpkins, now there were beds for our last crop of the season - next years garlic! Karen began planting Thursday and Friday's big crew finished the job.With the temps hovering in the mid 60s, we pretended it was spring again. We got down to our short-sleeves, and dropped and plopped 10,000 garlic cloves into the still-warm earth. This is the garlic we'll enjoy next season, starting with the scapes when the share starts in June. This is the garlic we'll harvest together next July. This not just an end, it is the beginning. Planting is time to dream forward. (And it is time to renew your share!)

What's left? 30,000 lbs of vegetables to harvest and we'll be done. We will be squirreling them away into your homes and into our cellar for the next few weeks. And then? Nice clean sheets and sleep at last, until we (and the garlic) wake up next spring.We hope you enjoy the harvest.